What typically causes crypt melt?

Tug,

I am under the impression that crypts store nutrients internally to be used in times of need. When the environment changes (more or less light, ferts or c02, etc) the plants use these stores to get by this transition period. Using them up causes the plant to disintegrate as they are still not assimilating new stores....

Of course I could be completely and utterly incorrect. Such things have happened before.....

That being said, c. wendti especially should not melt that much even for bigger env changes. I have kept it for years and it has always done well, c02 or not..

 

Hi Tug,

C. wendti comes in a variety of shades and is usually readily available....

They can cost $4-6 each at the LFS for a few leaves, but if well cared for will soon grow very well. Once established it is very resilient...

Just note that they can easily get 10-12" tall and are not really a foreground plant...

 

The only time that C. wendtii melted in my tanks was once (in 10 years) when I did a radical cleaning of a neglected tank. It melted in a day or two but within a month it was all back where it had been.

I think it would take more time than that for it to exhaust it's stored nutrients.

Bill

 

Like aquabillpers I've found Crypts melt when their environment changes or when they are uprooted, but C. wendtii one of the more resilient Crypts. I have never found a reason for melt either. I think this sensitivity to changes in this plant is one reason folks often say Crypts have personality. On a side note, I also think that type of poor adaptation to change (such as new planting or trimming) is why some folks argue about the difficulty of plants like Downoi and B. japonica and R. indica (aka Ammania sp. 'Bonsai') and so on: all are actually easy plants that can take a minute to recover from changes.

But maybe there is something more scientific. Regardless I think these types of plants in a scape suggest stability and a longer term tank, and I think it a plus when appreciating pics of gardens.

Just babbling thoughts...